Page 35

Since they’d come to Gloucester, Mary’s cruel teasing and snide remarks toward the others had subsided, due to them all being so busy, as well as Mistress Agnes’s seniority.

She brooked no unkindness or unfairness amongst the staff, and when a servant did well, she praised them publicly.

It was a pleasure to see, and it fostered goodwill amongst those working in the kitchen.

Bronwyn wiped her hands clean and followed the page up two floors to where the ladies-in-waiting stayed. He led her down a corridor and to a room.

Bronwyn breathed in through her nose. They hadn’t spoken since their heated discussion back at camp, before arriving at Gloucester. Perhaps they would be friends again. Maybe Lady Alice missed her. Maybe…

She knocked on the door and walked in. “Lady Alice?”

“Shut the door, Bronwyn.”

Bronwyn’s hopes at a reconciliation of their friendship sank. Her shoulders slumped, she let out a tiny sigh and closed the door. “Yes?”

She looked around the room. It was a decent-sized living space, with a grand four-poster bed and traveling trunks set before it. A small table for writing or cosmetics stood against the left wall with a looking glass, and a squat, wooden stool.

Lady Alice sat at the edge of the bed and rested her hand on one of the wooden posters of her bed. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”

Two spots of color blossomed on Lady Alice’s cheeks. She waved a hand airily and said loudly, “That was then. This is now.” She motioned for Bronwyn to come closer.

As Bronwyn approached, Lady Alice motioned for her to come closer and closer, until they stood just a foot apart. “Lady Alice?”

“I’ve come into some information, and I could use your help.”

Bronwyn crossed her arms. “It’s not something else that’s gone missing, is it?”

“No. It’s…” Lady Alice looked around the room, as if the very walls watched them. “Stephen is trying to escape.”

“What? Now?” Bronwyn stepped back.

“No. He’s testing the guards, to see who will help him. He’s offering gold, and lands, and position, to any man who will help free him and secure him safe passage from Gloucester.”

“How much is he offering?”

“Enough that a man who is either greedy or foolish will take him up on it. Fortunately, all the men Empress Maud posted to his cells are loyal, but… I think every person has their price. It would not surprise me if some dream of more and agree to help him.”

“How’d you hear about this?” Bronwyn asked.

“I heard the men talking. I didn’t recognize who they were. All I know is they’re planning to break him out soon.”

“Why come to me with this? Have you told the empress, or Rupert?”

“No. I know he now serves two masters, but…… This information is important. I can’t risk it falling into the wrong hands.

There are very few people I can trust here at court.

Consider yourself lucky that you are one.

Rupert is another. Even if he does now serve Sir Ranulf.

” Lady Alice’s upper lip curled in distaste.

“There are better men he could serve, but never mind.”

“You know the crown was poisoned.”

Lady Alice started, a dainty hand flying to her mouth. “So it was? I heard a rumor but didn’t think it was true. Who would poison the crown, and how?”

Bronwyn put her hands on her hips. “From what I understand, you were there. You saw Sir Edward fall.”

“Yes, but I didn’t hear much. There was a lot of commotion and noise.” Lady Alice froze. “You don’t think it was poisoned when we were at that dreary camp outside Lincoln, do you? I… touched the crown when I found it in my bedding. Could I be poisoned?” She swallowed.

“No. Otherwise, we’d both be dead,” Bronwyn said flatly “It was poisoned here.”

Lady Alice stared at her. “I don’t like your tone.” When Bronwyn didn’t reply, Lady Alice said, “You don’t think I had anything to do with that, do you?”

“Did you?”

“No.” Lady Alice’s voice was firm. “And I’m surprised you even had the gall to ask. I certainly didn’t. I love the empress, like any loyal subject should. I would never.” She cocked her head. “Did you?”

“No.”

“So if we didn’t, and now Sir Edward is dead, then who would have wanted to kill the empress? You don’t think he would want to have done her harm, in revenge for Lady Eleanor dying?”

Bronwyn shook her head. “I don’t think he blamed the empress for her death. And it defeats the purpose, since he poisoned himself. He didn’t know the crown was poisoned. Otherwise, he’d have worn gloves or not handled it at all.”

“So who was wearing gloves that night?”

“I don’t know. We could ask Rupert and Theobold. They were there.”

Lady Alice smiled. “I don’t see why we have to do anything at all. The empress is fine, Rupert has a place in the empress’s court, and Stephen is behind bars. All is well. Sort of.”

“And yet you called me here to tell me about the plot you heard of to free Stephen.”

Lady Alice looked away.

Bronwyn stepped closer. “Why bring me here to discuss it if you don’t want to act? And why do you care so much for the empress?”

Lady Alice met her with a solid stare. A moment passed, then two.

She raised her chin and said, “The empress…… gives me an opportunity to better myself. To raise myself and do more than sit and make civil conversation, or spend my hours doing embroidery. She gives me a chance to help my family, and raise us up in the world. To have the empress’s good faith is everything.

And… I believe in her. The crown belongs to her.

These men fight amongst themselves and raise armies against her because she is a woman.

If she were a man, Stephen would not have raised such a fuss or been so quick to try and claim her birthright for himself. ”

She spoke with such strength, such fierceness, Bronwyn thought. She rather admired Lady Alice at that moment.

“Fine. So what to do about this rumor you heard?”

“I cannot bother the empress with just a rumor. She’ll laugh me out of her chamber. I need proof if I am to get credit for saving Stephen’s life,” Lady Alice said. “What about this poisoner at court? What do we do? They could kill us in our beds.”

Bronwyn scratched her head. “I don’t think we are their target, unless we get in the way. I wonder if Lady Eleanor, Mabel, and Sir Edward were accidents.”

“They killed three people by accident?”

“No, but they weren’t the intended targets. Each time something happens, there’s usually an event to tie it to. Like whoever is behind this plans their actions around an event, in the hope that people are so distracted, no one notices.”

“What makes you think that?”

“The first attack at camp came with the theft of the crown. We returned it. The attack on Lincoln Castle came during the feast day of the Purification of St. Mary. Why does nothing happen on an ordinary day, like Tuesday?”

Lady Alice smirked. “Perhaps traitors have favorite days of the week like we do.”

“In any case, I bet if he does convince someone to break him out, it will come during a feast day or event. When is the next feast day?”

“You would know better than me. I like a good feast, but I never remember the church holidays. You tell me.”

Bronwyn thought quickly. “Lent is coming. There is Shrove Tuesday, and then Ash Wednesday.”

“That’s in two days,” Lady Alice said.

“Then we have to be ready. We have to tell someone.”

“Who? Lady Susanna is sweet but cannot keep a secret, and Lady Morwenna has a foul temper. And the men…… Sir Miles and Sir Robert would want proof, Sir Bors is a bore, and Sir Ranulf makes my skin crawl. I cannot trust anyone here, except for Rupert and yourself.” Judging by Lady Alice’s wary glance, even that level of trust was only just there.

“There are good people here.”

“Just like there are fools stupid enough to decide to take Stephen’s word and help him.

He’d have convinced the guards watching his jail cell.

” Lady Alice brightened. “All right, we’ll talk to Rupert.

We can have him speak to Sir Baldwin in the cells.

Rupert would have a reason to go down there, anyway, to check on his master. He can find out who the traitors are.”

“But Sir Baldwin made his choice. He’s cast his lot with Stephen. Why would he tell Rupert just to get in trouble and betray his king?” Bronwyn asked.

Lady Alice pouted.

“Exactly. He wouldn’t. Not unless he had something to gain, or lose, by Stephen getting free. Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to betray Stephen.”

“Unless he thought it was part of a greater conspiracy to kill him,” Lady Alice said brightly.

“If we have Rupert tell Sir Baldwin that there is a plot to kill Stephen on the road, so he’s better off staying in prison, then he could relay who Stephen’s been bribing and we could report them.

Then I get the credit for saving Stephen’s life and the empress has me to thank. He’s too valuable a prisoner.”

“I don’t like the idea of asking Rupert to lie. I don’t think he would do it. And not to his master.”

“Then you don’t know him very well at all. Rupert would do it for me,” Lady Alice said confidently.

“No. Let’s find some other way. It’s not right, asking him to lie.”

Lady Alice frowned. “You act like it’s some great crime I’d be asking him to commit. All it would be is a little, white lie.”

“There’s no way we can prove he’s trying to escape, anyway,” Bronwyn pointed out.

“That doesn’t matter. Of course he’s trying to escape. It’s a king. They’d be surprised if he wasn’t trying something.”

Bronwyn had to agree with that. It’d be an odd king who was content to sit in prison. “We need to find out who Stephen is bribing and if they will really help him or not.”

“And when they’re planning to release him.”

“We know it must either be tomorrow night for Shrove Tuesday or Ash Wednesday. We need to learn more. Who is planning to help him. We’ll need names.”

“I’ll ask Rupert,” Lady Alice said brightly.